Being a parent often comes with many trials and tribulations that test the lengths one would go for a loved one.
When desperate, they may have to resort to extreme measures to get by, such as begging for food to keep their family well-fed.
One Malaysian lawyer witnessed it firsthand when he encountered a woman arrested for stealing a pencil case.
As he dug further into the case, he discovered she had stolen it out of desperation to keep a promise to her son.
Source: TikTok
Prior to that, she had told her son that she would buy him a fully equipped pencil case if he came first in his exams.
However, she did not have the money, leading her to resort to stealing. Moved by her story, the lawyer decided to represent her pro bono.
The lawyer, Ahmad Zaharil, otherwise known as @amzaharil on TikTok, shared the story in response to viewers asking him what his most memorable case ever is in his 31-year-long career.
@amzaharil♬ original sound – amzaharil
He then recalled that back in 1998, he chanced upon a woman in handcuffs while exiting the court.
Curious about the circumstances that brought her there, he asked her what had happened.
She revealed that she had stolen a pencil case set for her son, a reward she promised him earlier for emerging top of his class.
Unfortunately, she did not have enough money for the RM18 (S$5.28) stationery. Determined to keep her promise, she attempted to steal the pencil case instead, resulting in her arrest.
Shaken by her story, Mr Ahmad went to the woman’s son’s school to investigate further.
Upon checking the boy’s report card and verifying it with the school principal and teachers, Mr Ahmad confirmed that he had indeed come first in his exams.
Mr Ahmad was touched by the woman’s predicament and decided to defend her pro bono.
With his help, the woman avoided imprisonment and was eventually sentenced to probation for several years.
19 years later, another chapter in the story unfolded when Mr Ahmad noticed a man observing him every day while he sat in the court canteen.
One day, the man finally approached him and revealed his true identity: he was the son of the woman he had defended all those years ago.
In an even more remarkable twist of fate, he told Mr Ahmad that he had successfully studied to become a lawyer himself.
On that note, Mr Ahmad said this is one of the most unforgettable cases in all his years of legal practice.
Viewers were full of praise for Mr Ahmad, with many pointing out that his single act of kindness changed the trajectory of the woman’s life and her son’s for good.
One viewer said their lives might have taken a different turn had she gone to jail.
Source: TikTok
Another commenter said that the lawyer’s good deeds allowed the woman’s son to grow up with a complete family.
Source: TikTok
Meanwhile, a viewer was awed by the mother’s love for her son, and said they would be the first to watch if someone made this story into a movie.
Source: TikTok
Lastly, one commenter remarked that while Mr Ahmad had helped the woman for free, he got the most valuable reward now that he knows her son grew up well.
Source: TikTok
As humans, we are all connected, one way or another.
Hence, everything we do, be it a kind, neutral, or malicious act, affects us all to an extent.
Mr Ahmad’s story proves that everything we do has a ripple effect; in his case, it was a single act of kindness that led to a family’s bright future.
We wish him and the young lawyer all the best, and hope this inspires us all to look out for one another, even in the smallest ways.
Have news you must share? Get in touch with us via email at news@mustsharenews.com.
Featured image adapted from TikTok and Markus Spiske on Unsplash.
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